There is a research station up in Jwaneng (about 2 hour drive northwest) where the base camp of Cheetah Conservation Botswana is located. The British girl who runs it is the one who I met back in October ’04 at the Wildlife Conservation expo in Los Altos. Her acquaintance led to me getting hooked up with Mokolodi. Jwaneng is currently in the midst of an anthrax outbreak. Twenty four carcasses ranging from zebra, hartebeest, springbok, vultures, and cheetah have been found dead with all the symptoms of the anthrax virus- foaming at the mouth, bleeding from the eyes, nose, & anus, and head in a cocked backward position. The CCB staff informed local dept of wildlife game officials. They didn’t respond soon enough after the discovery of the first carcass. It should have been immediately buried with lime powder or burned. They left it overnight and when they arrived the next morning, the carcass had been opened up and scavenged by other animals. Once it enters the food chain, they all die. CCB staff were furious once they discovered two cheetah were among the victims. So one of them decided to report the poor response time to the chief of the local game dept.
Anthrax is a natural element in the lifecycle of rural areas containing livestock which has been around for centuries. Spores, washed into the ground by rain, lie dormant in the soil for up to 250 years until conditions allow them to germinate. This usually coincides with droughts when stagnant pools dry up. Once the water hole has replenished, spores concentrate in the drinking water and enter the animal’s tissue either via ingestion or the intramuscular route. Depending on how acute the manifestation is, the animal goes from fever to haemorrhaging to death within 48 hours. Scavengers and carrion-eating birds disseminate the anthrax organisms by opening up and dismembering infected carcasses, dragging around portions and defecating in other areas and water holes. The vicious cycle continues until the chain is broken.
Our notion of anthrax is distorted since the American media has pumped us all with big doses of fear by associating bioterrorism with this animal virus. As a tool of mass destruction, it needs to be highly concentrated and inhaled in large amounts to do any damage. Concentrations of the organism in livestock & game are much lower by comparison.
Fortunately, the outbreak is confined to Jwaneng and has not affected the game reserve I live on. Besides, its too damn hot to wear those orange full body contamination suits with the black biohazard logo and a gas mask.
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